Hungry? Not For Long

Something any Western traveler has to overcome in China and Vietnam is the deplorable sight of animal street markets. Toss away any notion of humane treatment. They don't exist here. Many years after I visited the SARS scare came out of China due to their deplorable animal husbandry practices. I was not at all surprised.

In the amphibian and reptile aisle.

A typical encounter is like going to one of their horrendous zoo's, only smaller and worse. The cages are overcrowded, filthy, cramped, and sitting on dirty streets. Many of the animals have been starved to save the keeper money, and make the animals less resistant for their imminent death. But perhaps the most detestable treatment is the on-the-spot-slaughter after a purchase. This to ensure freshness. Most of the mammals can detect this, especially the monkeys who begin shaking their cages and screaming when an animal is brought to the block.

Cages so small, the animals could barley move.

So, are you still hungry? Choose from green eyed snakes, puppy dogs, mice, and frogs. Turtles, kittens, silver-eyed salamanders, goats, ducks, antelope or raccoon. Basically, there isn't any animal or part of an animal they won't eat. If it walks on four legs, it's fit to be munched.

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